Newsworthy

Dear Community Partners,

Here are today’s updates:

• Blood Donations Needed; Info on “To Your Health” Tonight
• Emersen Frazier a KHA Advocacy All-Star
• Walk with a Doc This Saturday
• Celebrate Erinn Grist, BSN, RN, DAISY Award Winner

Blood Donations Needed; Info on “To Your Health” Tonight

Blood donations are extremely important at this time as the Community Blood Center this week issued an official “Blood Emergency” to alert the community that donors are needed. The Blood Center said donations have been down in the past several weeks, in part because of seasonal illness and harsh winter weather causing the cancellation of blood drives.

We are grateful that the Stormont Vail team has always been very generous in blood donations to help our patients and communities. An upcoming blood drive open to Stormont Vail team and community members will be Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Centennial Rooms A and D, Pozez Education Center at the Topeka Hospital. Book your appointment today, here. If you have medical eligibility questions, please call 1-800-688-0900. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Learn more about the importance of blood donations on tonight’s WIBW “To Your Health.” Brian Aeschliman, Trauma Services, explains how blood Is utilized to help patients and why being a donor is critical. The segment will air at 10 p.m. on WIBW-TV, Channel 13. The segment will typically repeat at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. Fridays on 13 News This Morning and be posted on wibw.com.

Emersen Frazier a KHA Advocacy All-Star

Congratulations to Emersen Frazier, Director of Health Equity and Policy, on her graduation from the first-ever Kansas Hospital Association Advocacy All-Stars program. Emersen and 14 representatives from other Kansas health care organizations were recognized Tuesday at a graduation ceremony during the KHA Advocacy Day.

The program provided training to strengthen and promote the engagement of hospital advocates throughout Kansas and to develop leaders who can effectively advocate on behalf of their organizations. Congratulations, Emersen!

Walk with Doc this Saturday – With Dr. Pir Shah

Join Pir Shah, M.D., psychiatrist in Behavioral Health Services, at our upcoming Walk with a Doc this Saturday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m. on the east side of Lee Arena at Washburn University. You don’t need to register for this free event, just come ready to walk with warm clothes and with lots of questions. We will move the walk inside if the weather is too cold, rainy or snowy.

Celebrate Erinn Grist, BSN, RN, DAISY Award Winner

For Erinn Grist, BSN, RN, in the Stormont Vail Stormont Vail 7 North Cardiology/Medical Floor, creating meaningful patient relationships is the standard, not the exception. For this reason, we celebrate Erinn for receiving the DAISY Award.

“Erinn is extremely caring and listened intentionally to my grandfather’s needs,” the patient’s granddaughter wrote in Erinn’s nomination. “My grandfather is 80 years old and has never had surgery before, and now he needs a CABG. He was very nervous and became extremely emotional, but Erinn provided compassionate care while keeping the environment lighthearted and fun, which was exactly what he needed.”

Erinn, congratulations on winning the DAISY Award! We sincerely appreciate your positive energy, compassion, and conscientiousness and are proud to have you on our team!

Read more here about Erinn’s nomination.

We together,
Dr. Kenagy